


Potions and Charms

by WandersUnderStarlight



Series: What Makes A Monster [3]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Magic, Supernatural Elements, Were-Creatures, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-10 23:02:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16464038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandersUnderStarlight/pseuds/WandersUnderStarlight
Summary: Jazz visits a magic shop





	Potions and Charms

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween!

Jazz happily walked down the sidewalk holding servos with Prowl. They had agreed to date officially once Prowl had gotten over the embarrassment of being called out by his packmate (also after a thorough wrestling match to reassert his dominance with his still-laughing beta).

“Thanks for comin’ with me.” Jazz said with a sweet smile. “Trailbreaker invited me to come see ‘is shop, bu’ I didn’ want t’ go by myself an’ Rico wanted some alone time with Smokescreen.”

“I’m happy to spend time with you.” Prowl answered warmly. He gently squeezed their linked servos and then leaned over to brush shoulders for good measure. Oh, Jazz had thought Prowl had been servos-on before, how wrong he had been. Now that Prowl had been given permission to touch, it was like the beastformer wanted to be in contact with his plating at all times. 

Eh, Jazz didn’t really mind, though. It was kind of cute in a way and Jazz knew if he asked, Prowl would back off (like when he’d been trying to mix a new engex concoction in the kitchen and he’d had to kick the beastformer out lest he mess up the careful measuring).

Trailbreaker and Moonracer had a small shop where they sold both natural remedies along with actual magical potions and charms. Who knew? Not most bots, apparently. Mirage and Hound had explained about the wards they had set up around The Beat to keep most regular cybertronians away. Apparently, Trailbreaker and Moonracer’s shop had the same type of wards, though set by the witches rather than by Fae magic.

Well, _most_ cybertronians. Some, like Jazz and Ricochet, who had that ephemeral “potential” that Trailbreaker had spoken of might be able to find their way in by happenstance or luck. The fairytales had to have some basis, after all.

Jazz couldn’t see any marks or signs of those wards on his building (and he’d looked!), but he could sort of… _feel_ them. Sorta… Or maybe that was just all in his helm.

Prowl steered Jazz toward a small alcove with a nondescript door that the visored mech might have missed if he hadn’t been looking for it. The unremarkable exterior hid a cheerful, welcoming interior. Warm light streamed in through windows. Shelves lined the walls. Some were filled with tastefully arranged bins and baskets stocked with the most interesting objects. Others were lined with bottles, strange and beautiful liquids held within them.

Behind a counter in the back Trailbreaker and Moonracer sat. Cluttering the countertop was a small assortment of ingredients, a mortar and pestle (which Moonracer was busily using), and empty bottles.

“Hello, Keeper Jazz, Alpha Prowl.” Trailbreaker greeted. Moonracer quickly waved with a smile before going back to crushing up whatever was in the mortar and pestle. “If you’ll give us just a moment to finish up, I’ll be happy to show you around. Give you the sales pitch, if you will.” The mech said with a wink.

“‘Ello, yarself. Wha’ are ya doin’?” Jazz asked with a curious helm tilt.

“We’re making Sweetsteel Potion.” Moonracer said without looking up.

“Wha’ does it do?”

Trailbreaker spoke in his soothing rumble. “It removes anxiety and gives a higher sense of self-esteem. Quite simple to make. Five dragon scales, freely given. A pinch of steel moss for luck and protection. And two sponges from the Rust Sea- good for soaking up negative energy. Grind down and infuse in low-grade.”

“Huh, neat.” Jazz murmured, thinking about some of his customers that could use such a potion. Well, Trailbreaker had said he was going to give them a “sales pitch”. So, maybe it wouldn’t be improper for him to buy some of these potions on servo at the bar.

Also, dragons were _real_?

Trailbreaker smiled, as if reading his processor. He waved his servo about the room. “Go on and have a look around, the potions are labelled. We’ll be done soon.”

Prowl let Jazz lead him over to the shelf full of the rainbow assortment of bottles. They passed a small bookshelf that held flimsies bound by metal sheets. Glyphs were inscribed on each spine, some in lauguages Jazz didn’t understand and some in neo-cybex. He caught sight of one that read “Household Spells” and another that said “Complete Encyclopedia of Mech-Animal Spells.”

The first potion to catch his optic was a cloudy light blue one called Misty Moonlight who’s label said is was a potion for relaxation. Another was a deep purple called Crystal Berry Infusion for Cleverness. It was supposed to increase intelligence and wit for a whole cycle. A golden, glittery potion for happiness and laughter called Flutterspark made Jazz smile just looking at it. He pointed it out to Prowl. The beastformer, in turn, showed him a red potion called Excellence which gave the drinker a brief, but powerful burst of speed and strength.

There were potions for curing sickness and antidotes for poison. An invisibility potion! And a potion to change yourself into a finmech... Okay, finmechs apparently were _also_ real (and Jazz should really stop being surprised at such information). Jazz smirked when he saw an “Elixir of Eloquence” thinking that Ricochet could use that to keep from sticking his pede in his mouth quite so often.

Trailbreaker finished pouring the infused low-grade into the bottles, and then Moonracer stoppered them. He got up and stretched, then came around the counter to join them in the open space of the shop.

“Find anything interesting?” He asked teasingly.

“Yeah!” Jazz said enthusiastically, then he hesitantly asked. “Um, it would be okay fo’ me t’ ‘ave some o’ these at th’ bar, righ’?”

“Of course!” Moonracer piped up.

“Potions are just another way to take care of your customers.” Trailbreaker agreed. “Though, you’ll have to get used to possibly accepting strange payment in return. Some Other-worlders are particular like that.” 

“Okay? I guess tha’s alrigh’ as long as I ‘ad somebot t’ tell me if I’m gettin’ jipped.”

“You might consider hiring an assistant who is of the supernatural persuasion.” Prowl suggested.

“An’ how, ‘xactly would I advertise tha’?” Jazz asked skeptically. “‘Help Wanted at Local Bar: Must be a Creature o’ the Dark-Cycle’.”

Trailbreaker and Moonracer laughed while Prowl just looked amused.

“There are plenty of places where just bots like us go.” Trailbreaker said. “But you can always start by advertising here or at the nightclub, itself.”

“I guess…”

Humm, now that he really thought about it, he probably should seriously think about hiring on somebot new, though. The Beat had gotten more popular ever since the Ritual. Not so much that he couldn’t handle it, but if the increase in attendance continued, it would soon become unmanageable for one bot.

“Anyway, would you like to see our selection of charms?” Trailbreaker suggested.

Jazz glanced at Prowl, who seemed to be in no hurry to leave, and agreed cheerfully.

The first object Trailbreaker showed them was a large, heavy, blue mineral deposit. “This is a Vitalis, if you hold it to your chestplates, it will heal any and all wounds, after being used, it needs to be charged by the light of the double moons in alignment.”

The visored mech admired it, “Wow, tha’s impressive. Bu’ it looks real burdensome.”

“Yes, it wouldn’t be something to carry around in your subspace.” Trailbreaker said lightly, replacing the large object on the shelf, and picking up two much smaller minerals. One was light purple and the other light blue. He held up the purple, “This is a recharge crystal, used to ensure a restful dark-cycle’s recharge. And this,” he held up the blue, “is a winter’s crystal, blessed by a Winter Fae to keep a drink as cold as snow.” 

He set the minerals down and moved on to another shelf holding jewelry. He showed them a protection bracelet, a magnetic brooch that would make you perceived as the most beautiful bot in the room and a fairy crown that enabled you to see the fairy world for a few joors. They were beautiful, but Jazz had never been one for jewelry and so he politely asked to see other things.

Trailbreaker just smiled and moved on. He picked up a normal-looking shinax. “This is a Dragon’s Charm. It is a piece of a dragon’s horde, given freely. That makes it a powerful good luck charm. But,” he held up a digit warningly, “if a piece of a dragon’s horde is stolen, it is a cursed item.”

“Is that a game?” Prowl suddenly asked, optics caught on a carved box.

Trailbreaker’s optics twinkled. “Yes it is. It’s an enchanted game that can play you on its own. Of course you can still play it with another as well, and the game can give suggestions for moves if you are a new player.”  
Prowl nodded decisively and picked the game up, much to the witch’s delight.

Secretly, Jazz hoped that Prowl was planning on playing a few games with him.

Trailbreaker showed them a couple more protective charms; one for boats traveling the Rust Sea, and one for transports flying through the Sonic Canyons. Then he picked up a data-pad and gave it to Jazz. “Here, I think you will like this.”

When Jazz turned it on, though, it was blank. He gave Trailbreaker a confused look. The mech chuckled and explained, “It’s charmed. Every time you turn it off and knock on it three times, the story will change.”

Eagerly Jazz turned it off and rapped his knuckles on it lightly three times. When he turned it back on, it displayed a familiar story from his younglinghood. Jazz grinned.

“Do you want it?” Prowl asked.

Jazz glanced over at him in surprise and realized that the beastformer meant to buy it for him. “Er, yeah, kinda. Bu’, I want t’ get a couple potions fo’ th’ nightclub, too.”

“That is fine.”

“Are ya sure?”

Prowl huffed. “Yes.” He leaned in for a brief nuzzle, ignoring the tiny happy coo from Moonracer behind them. Jazz smiled and gave him a proper hug before going back over to the potion shelves. He choose the Misty Moonlight, Flutterspark and Sweetsteel potions which had both witches nodding in approval.

As Moonracer packaged up their purchases, Trailbreaker wrote out some simple instructions which he went over. “The Misty Moonlight should be administered by spoonful. It can be mixed with anything. Flutterspark is to be put into mid-grade, one drop per full cube. And Sweetsteel is to be drunk alone. A shot-glass full should do.”

Jazz smiled. “Thanks.”

The black mech smiled back. “You are quite welcome. Please feel free to come back whenever you need more potions. We often get interesting objects when folks trade for things, so you’ll always see something new when you stop by.”

“Sounds good to me!” Jazz said readily. He subspaced the wrapped bottles and data-pad while Prowl did the same with the game. Then he took Prowl’s servo and left the witchs’ shop with a cheery wave.

“Shall we head back to your place, then?” Prowl asked.

Jazz smiled impishly. “As funny as it would be t’ walk in on wha’ever Ricochet an’ Smokescreen are gettin’ up t’, I think I’d rather spend more time with ya.”

Prowl rumbled with pleasure, a small please smile on his dermas. “Very well. Have dinner with me?”

“I’d love t’. Bu’ I’m buyin’, it’s only fair.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, I have some planned out stories for this 'verse, but I'm open to more ideas. What other magical/supernatural creatures should Jazz meet/learn about? Give me your thoughts!


End file.
